USC Trojans vs BYU Cougars betting picks, odds and predictions

USC Trojans – -175 at Bovada
BYU Cougars – +160

These teams have not met in NCAA Football since 2004 and both are coming off impressive wins in their last game, yet USC are four-point road betting favorites with an over/under of 55.5 for Saturday’s clash in Utah.

USC entered the top 25 after a big 45-20 win over a ranked Stanford team. BYU got over their lackluster loss to a ranked Utah in their season opener with a 29-26 OT road win over Tennessee in their last game.

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The Trojans can really boost their confidence with a win in this game and they could use that boost since their next three games are all facing top-25 teams.

In their last game USC beat a 23rd-ranked Stanford team where they racked up nearly 500 yards on offense and their passing game was impressive. In the season-opening win over Fresno State the Trojans lost starting QB JT Daniels to a season-ending knee injury, which saw true freshman Kedon Slovis make an impressive starting debut in the Stanford game with 377 passing yards and three TD with no interceptions. Three USC receivers had at least 82 yards, led by Tyler Vaughns (106 yards, one TD).

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While USC beat Stanford handily they did not have the best run game with 115 yards led by Vavae Malepeai (42 yards, 3.5 yards per carry) and two other RBs had runs of 20 yards each. BYU played pretty good pass defense in their win over Tennessee, but they gave up 242 rushing yards.

In that game, BYU QB Zach Wilson had a 64-yard bomb that allowed the Cougars to tie the game with a field goal in the last seconds to force overtime. They were outgained 418 yards to 339 yards and their run defense and offensive line did not play well.

Wilson was under pressure the entire game and passed for 232 yards with a TD and was not picked off. Micah Simon hauled in the 64-yard catch that helped send the game to OT and while he had 127 receiving yards, no other BYU player had more than 40. Ty’Son Williams rushed for 92 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and his play will be key in this game.

BYU have to protect Wilson better in this game than they did in the last game against a good USC pass rush. The Trojans’ offense has clicked in their two games this season, but on defense they have given up 462 yards and 335 yards, respectively, in their two games.

USC Trojans betting trends

• USC are 1-8 ATS in their last nine non-conference games
• USC are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 road games
• USC are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games
• USC have an over record of 14-6-1 in their last 21 non-conference games

BYU Cougars betting trends

• BYU are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games
• BYU are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record
• BYU have an under record of 11-5 in their last 16 home games

USC Trojans vs BYU Cougars betting predictions

USC Trojans -4 @ -111.11 with Bovada

As you can see by the betting trends above, USC have not been a good bet in the last few seasons. However, they are coming off a huge win and may have found a keeper in freshman backup QB Slovis, who was more than impressive in his starting debut against Stanford. BYU also had a huge win in their last game, but they needed a miracle to get it. They also faced a Tennessee team that’s in a down season and lost at home to Georgia State in their opener. The Trojans will score big in this game and while their D may not play great, they will still win on the road and cover the spread.